FALL COLORS Page 7 Great Smoky Mountains National Park Autumn 2016 PARK MAP Pages 8-9 BILL LEA PHOTO MARS HILL COLLEGE PHOTO
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INSIDE RANGER PROGRAMS Pages 10-13 The Official Newspaper of FALL COLORS Page 7 Great Smoky Mountains National Park Autumn 2016 PARK MAP Pages 8-9 BILL LEA PHOTO MARS HILL COLLEGE PHOTO BLACK BEARS Peeling apples was a social event and a prelude to delicious apple pies. During fall, bears depend heavily on acorns, hickory Autumn Was Time of nuts, and other types of Plenty & Plenty to Do Both gray (pictured) and red fox live in the Great Smoky Mountains. hard “mast” to gain weight all was a busy, but hope- farmers had to rely on other Ffully bountiful time on means of preserving their food for winter. If the trees a mountain farm. Families for future consumption. Some depended on their large, foods, such as potatoes, cab- This Fox is Perfectly provide plentiful mast, bears labor-intensive gardens for bage, and onions would keep nearly all their year-round for a time just by dry storage Suited for the Forest will not need to wander far produce. They cultivated an or burying with straw. Beans impressive array of vegetables could be dried. f all the canids that live gray fox, including coyotes and wide in search of food and other foods, including Other vegetables might be (or once lived) in the and bobcats. Many are also O cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, pickled or preserved in crocks Great Smoky Mountains, killed by automobiles. and females will give birth beets, onions, sunflowers, tur- as slaw or chowchow. When including the coyote, red fox, When gray fox aren’t nips, peas, carrots, tomatoes, store-bought jars became gray wolf, and red wolf, none climbing trees to find fruit, to plentiful tiny bear cubs beans, squash, melons, and widely available in the 1860s, is better adapted for life in the they might be seen prowl- pumpkins. home canning became an woods than the gray fox. Not ing the forest floor in search over the winter. In the fields, corn was option. only does the gray fox hunt of rabbits, mice, voles, and king, especially tall sturdy Sorghum making was an for a dizzying array of foods insects. varieties like Hickory Cane, autumnal ritual of turning that abound in a forest envi- The best times to see gray which is still grown at the sorghum cane into delicious ronment, this fox also has the fox are dawn, dusk, and at Mountain Farm Museum at sorghum molasses. This special ability to climb a tree night. They are found from Oconaluftee. A few farmers historic practice is kept alive to reach some of them. the lowest elevations in the grew other grains as well, in the national park today One example is an obser- park up to about 4,000 feet. In including wheat, oats, rye, and through demonstrations at vation made in Cades Cove by recent years their populations sorghum cane. Cades Cove Visitor Center and field biologists of a gray fox have been pressured by the Apples and other fruits the Mountain Farm Museum climbing into a persimmon natural migration of coyotes were also ripening around this (see pages 12-13 for a sched- tree to eat the fruit. Other from the West to the Smokies. time of year. Families nurtured ule). Visitors can watch cane foods the gray fox might Coyotes were first observed a variety of apples, including being squeezed through the go out on a limb to procure in Great Smoky Mountains Cullasaga, Brushy Mountain horse-powered mill and the include apples, wild grapes, National Park in the 1980s and Limbertwig, Buff, and Ear- juice carefully cooked down to hickory nuts and cherries. their population has grown ly Harvest. They also grew molasses. Tree climbing, made possible substantially since. peaches and plums. If you would like to learn by the fox’s curved claws Gray fox often den in Autumn was not only more about life on a mountain and pivoting paws, has other ground hog burrows they harvest time, it was the crucial farm, an audio tour called advantages as well, namely have taken over and modified. time for putting food by, as “From Field to Fork” is now eluding predators. Females give birth to 3-4 pups well. Without refrigeration available for a small fee at the Several animals prey on in early spring. (other than the springhouse) Mountain Farm Museum. smokies trip planner to order maps and guides: www.SmokiesInformation.org accommodations pets in the park LeConte Lodge (accessible by Pets are allowed in frontcoun- BILL LEA PHOTO trail only) provides the only try campgrounds and beside lodging in the park. Call (865) roads as long as they are 429-5704. restrained at all times. Pets For information on lodg- are not allowed on park trails, smokies guide ing outside the park: except for the Gatlinburg Bryson City 1-800-867-9246 and Oconaluftee River trails. Smokies Guide is produced Cherokee 1-828-788-0034 Dogs on these trails must be Fontana 1-800-849-2258 leashed. four times per year by Great Gatlinburg 1-800-588-1817 Smoky Mountains Asso- Maggie Valley 1-800-624-4431 opportunities ciation and Great Smoky Pigeon Forge 1-855-716-6199 Youth & adult programs at Mountains National Park. Sevierville 1-888-889-7415 TREMONT: gsmit.org; (865) Publication dates are roughly Townsend 1-800-525-6834 448-6709. as follows: Educational programs from the SMOKY MOUNTAIN FIELD SCHOOL: SPRING: March 15 smfs.utk.edu; (865) 974-0150. SUMMER: June 1 Join GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS AUTUMN: September 15 ASSOCIATION at SmokiesInfor- WINTER: December 1 Nine campgrounds will be open in the national park this fall. mation.org; 1-888-898-9102 MARY ANN KRESSIG PHOTO MARY Support the park with camping in the the national park FRIENDS CONTRIBUTING EDITOR : friendsofthesmokies. Steve Kemp The National Park Service The list below shows org; 1-800-845-5665. maintains developed camp- number of sites, elevations, NPS COORDINATOR special events grounds at nine locations in fees, approximate 2016 opera- Stephanie Sutton the park. There are no show- tion dates, and maximum RV September 17 EDITORIAL BOARD ers or hookups other than lengths. Dates are subject to Mountain Life Festival Joy Absher circuits for special medical change. Visit www.nps.gov/ Mountain Farm Museum Lynda Doucette uses at Cades Cove, Elkmont, grsm for current information. Kristine Johnson and Smokemont. ABRAMS CREEK 16 sites, December 10 Mike Maslona Campsites at Elkmont, elev. 1,125’, $14, open May 27- Bicycle and pedestrian morning Festival of Christmas Past Smokemont, Cataloochee, Oct. 10, 12’ trailers Sugarlands Visitor Center Laurel Rematore on Cades Cove Loop Road. Cosby, and Cades Cove BALSAM MOUNTAIN 46 CONTRIBUTORS may be reserved. For reser- sites, elev. 5,310’, $14, open bicycling December 17 Lisa Horstman, Karen Key, vations call 1-877-444-6777 May 27-Oct. 10, 30’ RVs Most park roads are too Holiday Homecoming Emma Dufort or contact www.recreation. BIG CREEK 12 sites, elev. narrow and heavily traveled Oconaluftee Visitor Center gov. Sites may be reserved 1,700’, $14, open April 8-Oct. by automobiles for safe or picnic areas © 2016 Great Smoky up to six months in advance. 31, tents only enjoyable bicycling. However, Reservations are required at CADES COVE 159 sites, elev. Mountains Association Cades Cove Loop Road is Please see pages 8-9 for loca- Cataloochee Campground. 1,807’, $17-$20, open year- an exception. This 11-mile, tions of picnic areas. All have Other park campgrounds are round, 35’-40’ RVs one-way, paved road pro- charcoal grills for cooking. GSMA first-come, first-served. CATALOOCHEE 27 sites, vides bicyclists with excellent Look Rock picnic area will not P.O. Box 130 Site occupancy is limited elev. 2,610’, $20, open opportunities for viewing open this year. Gatlinburg, TN 37738 to six people and two vehicles March 25-Oct. 31, reserva- wildlife and historic sites. (a trailer = 1 vehicle). The tions required, 31’ RVs Helmets are required for visitor centers maximum stay is 14 days. COSBY 157 sites, elev. 2,459’, persons age 16 and under and Fall hours of operation for Special camping sites for $14, April 8-Oct. 31, 25’ RVs are strongly recommended for park visitor centers are; Oco- large groups are available sea- DEEP CREEK 92 sites, elev. all bicyclists. naluftee & Sugarlands, 8-6:30. sonally at Big Creek, Cades 1,800’, $17, open April 8-Oct. From mid-May through Cades Cove, 9-6:30. Cling- Cove, Cataloochee, Cosby, 31, 26’ RVs mid-Sept., on Wednesday mans Dome, 10-6. Deep Creek, Elkmont, and ELKMONT 220 sites, elev. and Saturday mornings, only Smokemont. Group sites must 2,150’, $17-$23, open March bicycles and pedestrians are other services printed on recycled paper be reserved. Call 1-877-444- 11-Nov. 27, 32’-35’ RVs allowed on Cades Cove Loop 6777 or contact www.recre- LOOK ROCK Closed Road. Bicycles may be rented There are no gas stations, ation.gov. Group sites may SMOKEMONT 142 sites, elev. at the Cades Cove Camp- showers, or restaurants in the be reserved up to one year in 2,198’, $17-$20, open year- ground store next to Cades national park. Mt. LeConte advance. round, 35’-40’ RVs Cove Campground. Lodge is the only lodging. 2 d smokies guide, Fall 2016 park information for additional information, visit www.nps.gov/grsm Gatlinburg, TN elev. 1,462’ Mt. Le Conte elev. 6,593’ AVG. HIGH LOW PRECIP. AVG. HIGH LOW PRECIP. DRIVING Jan. 49° 27° 4.0” 36° 18° 6.7” DISTANCES & Feb. 53° 28° 4.1” 37° 19° 5.6” ESTIMATED PHOTO JIM MOWBRAY March 62° 35° 5.5” 44° 25° 7.0” TIMES April 71° 42° 4.5” 52° 31° 6.7” May 77° 50° 5.7” 58° 39° 8.0” June 82° 58° 5.8” 64° 47° 8.7” Cherokee, NC to: July 85° 62° 6.3” 67° 50° 9.0” Gatlinburg: 34 miles (1 hour) Aug.